Call for abstracts

Join us in Ōtautahi Christchurch,
New Zealand

We’re excited to invite you to share your insights, expertise, and innovative ideas within our symposium! 

Submit an abstract to contribute to our symposium programme. Closing date of abstract submission:
Friday 30 September 2025

OUR Theme and Sub-themes

PURE INNOVATION
Sustainable Development in Wine

The ICCWS will unravel the intricacies of fostering innovation while ensuring the sustainable growth of the wine industry. 

With this, we have sub-themes that we are looking for presentations in. Those themes are:

  • Technology and Application of AI

    • Vineyard

    • Winery

    • Market

  • Increased Vineyard Resilience

    • Genetics and Breeding

  • Mechanisation for the Future

  • Winemaking Innovation

    • New Wine Styles

    • NoLo

    • Filtration

    • Precision Fermentation

    • Yeast Strain Selection and Breeding 

    • Stabilisation

  • Making Cool Climate Wines Relevant

  • Sustainability Initiatives

    • Vineyard

    • Winery

    • Market

  • Leveraging Data for Content Marketing

  • Other - Outside the Box

Presentation types

  • This is a traditional format where presenters deliver a talk of 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of question time. 

  • Posters are especially effective for information that can be presented visually (e.g: photos, charts, graphs, tables). If your abstract is accepted as a poster, you will need to develop the poster before the symposium. Poster Guidelines will be provided at the time of abstract acceptance.

Submission Guidelines

Here’s what you’ll need:

  1. Main contact details - We’ll send all communications to this main contact.

  2. Abstract - Please follow the format guidelines below. Remembering, delegates will read your abstract and, from this document, decide to attend your presentation. 

  3. Presenters’ organisation and city

  4. Presenter biographies (optional) - Brief biography for each presenter, capped at 400 words total.

Tip: Allow about 15 minutes to complete your profile and abstract submission.

Abstract Format

  • Document: Microsoft Word  

  • Font: Arial, 12-point  

  • Length: Up to 250 words  

  • Spacing: Single-spaced, left-aligned 

Evaluation Criteria

All abstracts are to be reviewed. In evaluating the abstract, the reviewers will be mindful of the following criteria: 

  • Clarity: Is the abstract jargon-free, accessible and easy to understand

  • Contribution: Does this bring value to the symposium and a broad audience?

  • Originality: Is there fresh insight or a new application?

Submission Conditions

  • Timeliness: Late submissions will not be accepted.

  • Commitment: A condition of acceptance is that at least one presenter registers to present at the symposium. They are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and registration expenses. Similarly, no speaker fee is paid to presenters.

  • Accuracy: The submitting presenter is responsible for ensuring that the abstract is error-free.

Need help?

If you are having difficulty submitting your abstract, then please get in touch with the symposium organisers, Composition on iccws@composition.co.nz

First-time Presenters

Have you not submitted an abstract before? Not sure of the process? Read below, we strongly encourage those who haven’t submitted an abstract to get involved and give it a go!

    • Firstly, print and read all the information on this website page. It’s important to note the close of the submission date. 

    • Next, you need to write your abstract, following the format required. It’s often easier to download the example and type over this. A clear and concise title is a good start to your abstract.

    • When writing your abstract, it’s important to remember, that whoever reads it, will know nothing about you, or the topic you are writing on, so use simple easy language to convey what you will present on. 

    • Often, it’s best to write your abstract and then ask either colleagues, mentors or family members to read it and provide feedback. 

    • Once you are happy with the written abstract, it’s time to go online and submit the abstract. This is a simple online process, in which you will be required to upload the abstract. At the conclusion of this process, you should receive a confirmation email. 

    • You will be required to provide a short biography during the online submission process, if you don’t have one available, write one, prior to starting the online submission process. If you are accepted the biography is used by the facilitator on the day you are presenting to correctly introduce you. 

    • The Organising Committee will review all abstracts and you will be notified by email if your abstract has been accepted or declined. 

    • Please do not be disheartened if you are not accepted, less than 50% of abstracts are accepted.

If you are accepted, congratulations! Now the next part begins!

    • For this, practice does make perfect. You will receive tips on presenting, as part of the acceptance letter. Take the time to read these tips and learn how to improve your presenting style and delivery (including the preparation of slides). 

    • Register for the symposium, as part of the submission, you agree to register and pay for at least one day of the symposium.

    • Upload your PowerPoint presentation to the presentation link send a couple weeks prior to the symposium (details will be provided closer to the event). Ensure any videos are uploaded as separate files, not embedded in the PowerPoint. Also email the presentation to yourself, and keep a separate file on a portable device (such as a USB stick), as a back-up to bring with you to the symposium, 

    • Once you arrive at the symposium, visit the audio visual technician and check your loaded presentation, and run the slides, to ensure there are no hiccups. Once confirmed, they will ensure your presentation is loaded onto the computer loaded in the room you are presenting. If there are any audio-visual issues on the day, the technician will be available to sort them out (the facilitator will be able to locate them).

    • On the day you are presenting, go and find the room that you are presenting in, and have a look at the space. Be in the room 15 minutes prior to presenting (this will usually be during a catering break) to meet the facilitator, confirm where you will be seated, how they will introduce you, have a go with the remote mouse etc. 

    • Most importantly – enjoy yourself. People will be interested in what you have to say so take a deep breath,smile, keep calm, talk clearly and slowly and enjoy your presenting time. 

  • Any queries, please do not hesitate to email: iccws@composition.co.nz